Emily Henry has carved a name for herself by becoming BookTok and BookTube’s starlet, with fans falling in love with her swoon-worthy romances (who does not love sitting on the beach with a new romance?). Now there is a new addition to her bestselling collection with the release of Happy Place. Her new book follows a couple who broke up months before their annual friend group vacation, and they decide to pretend to still be dating for the sake of their friend group.
I love to read hyped authors to see if the claims are true, or if their spotlight is simply due to pushed promotion of their book, or their position of money or connections. A key reason why it is so hard for authors to break out is there are certain authors who get all the attention, making it hard for other writers who may be equally or more deserving of attention. And while I do enjoy other authors who I think also deserve more time in the immense spotlight like N.K. Jemisin, Tashie Bhuiyan, and many more, it is obvious that Emily Henry has immense talent — especially with her latest release.
Now I may be slightly biased, as Emily Henry was one of the first authors I got to dive into further in the romance genre I had been previously staying away from. However, this book tackles so much more than romance (not that the romance is not the cutest thing ever). There are discussions about finding careers, the important friendships made throughout college, and how these friendships change with us as we grow older. I loved how the entire friend group — consisting of our main character Harriet, her ex, Wyn, Cleo, Cleo’s girlfriend Kimmy, Sabrina, and Parth — are different from one another, and yet are so close. I think it shows the dynamic way that friends balance us, showing us multiple perspectives about the world, and I truly enjoyed the dynamic within the group. Sabrina is the constant go-getter with a bubbly personality, Parth is the passionate and caring type, Cleo is a painter and farmer who knows when to set boundaries, Wyn is a snarky and cautious guy, Kimmy is a farmer’s girl through and through, and Harriet is a doctor who is too in her head and her work. Together, they create such great, but unique relationships that are refreshingly accurate to read about.
Now there is of course the romantic relationship we need to talk about. I adored the natural progression of Harriet and Wyn’s relationship before they broke up from being friends to more over the span of a year. In addition, I thought the reality of their breakup, which is a central focus of the novel, was well done. I know many couples who have broken up and found each other again, so I thought this was another realistic aspect. Obviously there had to be constant banter between Harriet and Wyn that was absolutely heart-warming. Even after their breakup, there was an easy flow between them that was adorable, and had you rooting for them to find their way back to each other. This is a trend I have found in all of Emily Henry’s books: there is always a happy ending and rooting for the main characters always pays off in some way, which I appreciate.
This realistic, but sweet romance was brilliantly paired with the setting of Maine. I thought the setting was stunning, from the elaborate beach house to the charming town outings the characters take, like perusing a bookshop and going to a restaurant called The Lobster Hut. It simply just elevated the romance and created cozy scenes and a yearning for summer and to have a friend who has a mansion vacation house.
Overall, I adored this book; it might even be my new favorite Emily Henry book to date. If you are looking for a swoon-worthy romance that is the perfect summer read, this book is for you. Every romantic scene will have you swooning, the friendships will be delightful to read, and the setting will make you wish you were in Maine right this second. Happy Place is a book that tackles real topics and does not shy away from reality, while also being a romance you can get lost in and that makes it an automatic book I will read over and over again.